Oireachtas Chairs Under Fire Over Hiring Special Advisers

A review of Oireachtas spending is set to examine the contentious decision to create three special adviser roles for the Ceann Comhairle, Leas-Cheann Comhairle and Seanad Cathaoirleach.

The Irish Mail on Sunday reported earlier this year that the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission had begun the first wide-ranging independent organisational review of the parliamentary service since 2002.

The process will be supervised by an independent oversight panel featuring prominent figures including former Chief Justice Frank Clarke, former EU Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn and Seán Aylward, the former secretary-general of the Department of Justice.

The panel is still finalising the formal terms of reference for the review.

Sources have confirmed that the special adviser appointments made for Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy, Independent, Leas-Cheann Comhairle John McGuinness, Fianna Fáil, and Seanad leader Mark Daly, also of Fianna Fáil, will form part of the examination.

An Oireachtas source told the Irish Mail on Sunday that the review would assess “the organisation of the service, its operating model and workforce”.

Last year, the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission approved an annual budget of €325,000 for the three new positions. The arrangement gave Ms Murphy, Mr McGuinness and Mr Daly an adviser each, with the roles carrying an average yearly cost of approximately €108,000.

Similar special adviser posts for Leinster House officeholders had been scrapped more than 10 years ago, after former Ceann Comhairle John O’Donoghue resigned amid controversy surrounding his travel expenses.

Following the decision to restore the positions, Mr McGuinness appointed his long-standing parliamentary assistant Muireann O’Neill, while Mr Daly selected his parliamentary assistant Grace Coyle.

The Oireachtas confirmed this week that Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy had appointed Cyril Barden as her adviser on a temporary basis until October. His salary will be set at “principal officer scale”, beginning at €108,152 a year.

Mr Barden previously served as Ms Murphy’s campaign director and manager, and also worked as campaign director for former MEP Avril Doyle.

One minister questioned what specialist knowledge Mr Barden would bring to the position, saying it would be interesting to see what expertise he offered in constitutional law and Dáil procedure.

The appointments have renewed concerns in political circles about the reputational consequences of the growing number of highly paid special advisers across Government.

One minister compared the expansion to Japanese knotweed, warning that the system was beginning to resemble the era of former taoiseach Bertie Ahern, when there appeared to be “an adviser and a salary for everyone”.

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Social Democrats finance spokesman Cian O’Callaghan said the Oireachtas appointments should be included in any review of parliamentary spending, with close attention paid to whether they deliver value for money.

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín likewise said the roles must be investigated, arguing that they should never have been established.

The Meath West TD told the Irish Mail on Sunday that his party would seek a full investigation and call for the positions to be abolished in the next Dáil.

‘These are posts that should not have been created and should not exist in the next Dáil.’

Special advisers became a feature of Irish politics back in 1992 when, under an initiative led by then-Labour leader Dick Spring, ministers were allowed appoint one adviser.

But according to the most recent figures from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the current Government employs a total of 65 special advisers.

Tánaiste Simon Harris leads the way with 10 advisers, including deputy Government press secretary Hugh O’Connell.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has a slightly more modest nine, including Government press secretary Paul Clarkson.

Under Section 11 of the Public Service Management Act 1997, other Cabinet ministers can appoint a maximum of two special advisers.

So-called ‘super juniors’ – Ministers of State who regularly attend Cabinet meetings, including Government Chief Whip Mary Butler (FF) plus Independents Seán Canney and Noel Grealish – also have two advisers.

And there is now speculation there will be a further increase in special adviser appointments.

One Government TD told the MoS: ‘There is a lot of chatter that maybe [Oireachtas] Committee chairs should be getting a few of those SPADs [special advisers].

‘Fellows noticed there’s a nice increase in the estimates for the Oireachtas budget this year. Maybe some of that might be spent on staffing the 29 committees we have.’

Another TD noted: ‘That issue has been raised. There is a growing view that chairpersons – especially of more high-profile committees – need more support. 

‘The civil servants who run committees have any amount of support. Political chairs of committees are on their own.’